(OCT 5)
(OXNARD, CALIF.) – The elite men
and women enjoyed a day off on Friday at the 2014 National PAL
Championships, but the finalists returned to action in
championship round competition on Saturday at the Oxnard PAL Gym
in Oxnard, Calif.
The final day of competition in
Oxnard featured an Olympic medalist and several current or
former national champions as well as newcomers to the elite
national scene.
The U.S. Army claimed their first
national championship of the night in the women’s light
flyweight division.
Giovanni Camacho
(Lakewood, Wash.) defeated
Lisa Ha
(Pearl City, Hawaii) in the
night’s opening bout to take the gold medal.
In men’s light flyweight
competition,
Melik Elliston
(Denver, Colo.) put on a show in
his bout with
Paul LeBlanc
(Pahoa, Hawaii). Elliston gave
LeBlanc three eight counts over the three rounds before
LeBlanc’s corner threw in the towel to give Elliston the
victory.
The women’s flyweight contest
featured a rematch from the 2014 USA Boxing National
Championships finals as 2012 Olympic bronze medalist
Marlen Esparza
(Houston, Texas) took on
Virginia Fuchs
(Houston, Texas). Once again,
Esparza took the win over her fellow Houston native to win the
2014 National PAL Championship.
The men’s flyweight bout went to
U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program membe
Charles Williams
(Colorado Springs, Colo.) in the
fourth bout of the evening. Williams defeated
Angel Gonzalez
(Hartford, Conn.) in the final
round contest to win the 2014 National PAL title.
Former featherweight national
champion and lightweight competitor
Melissa Parker
(Colorado Springs, Colo.) made
the move down to the bantamweight division for the 2014 National
PAL Championships. She made her debut at the 119 pound weight
class a successful one, taking the gold medal with a victory
over
Amanda Pavone
(Burlington, Mass.) in the
championship bout.
Jose Balderas
(Santa Maria, Calif.) won the
first championship of the night for the host state in the men’s
bantamweight division. Balderas defeated
Sandy Rivas
(Fayetteville, N.C.) in their
final round contest to claim the National PAL Championships
title.
In women’s featherweight action,
Rianna Rios
(Fort Carson, Colo.) won an
entertaining bout with
Latonya Wingate
(Centerline, Mich.) to claim
another gold medal for the U.S. Army World Class Athlete
program.
The women’s lightweight
championship belt will travel home to Ohio following
Alycia Baumgardner’s
(Fremont, Ohio) win over
Felisha Estrada-Gonzalez
(Fort Carson, Colo.) in their
final round match-up.
Charles Vasquez
(New Port Richey, Fla.) claimed
victory in the men’s lightweight division, defeating
Rajiv Hernandez
(Cleveland, Ohio) to earn the
2014 National PAL Championship.
Defending champion
Mikaela Mayer
(Los Angeles, Calif.) enjoyed a
large cheering section of family and friends for her light
welterweight division bout with
Meghan Karchor
(Tavers, Fla.). She sent everyone
home happy with a win over Karchor in their championship bout.
In the men’s light welterweight
finale,
David Mijares
(Pasadena, Texas) defeated
Anthony Nunez
(Niskayuna, N.Y.) to claim the
gold medal.
Brian Ceballo
(Brooklyn, N.Y.) took the victory
in the battle of the northeast, winning his welterweight
championship bout with
James Perellla
(Mansfield, Mass.).
Multi-time national champion
Franchon Crews
(Baltimore, Md.) had a busy night
on Saturday at the Oxnard PAL Gym. She opened the evening with a
beautiful rendition of the national anthem before her
championship bout with
Danielle Mitchell
(N. Hollywood, Calif.). Crews won
a second round TKO over Mitchell in the middleweight final round
contest to earn the 2014 National PAL Championship.
Another boxing veteran claimed
victory in the men’s middleweight division bout between
Marquis Moore
(Colorado Springs, Colo.) and
Randy Foster
(Covington, Tenn.). Moore took
the win over Foster for the middleweight championship.
Moore’s teammate
Steven Nelson
(Colorado Springs, Colo.) enjoyed
success in the light heavyweight division finale as well. Nelson
defeated
Miguel Trejo
(Anaheim, Calif.) in their
contest to win light heavyweight gold.
The super heavyweight division
closed the night and the event in a battle between
Cassius Cheney
(Charlestown, R.I.) and
Raymond Walker
(Arlington, Texas). Cheney took
the final 2014 National PAL Championship with a win over Walker.
Saturday’s Championship Round
Results
106 lbs/female: Giovanni Camacho,
Lakewood, Wash., dec. Lisa Ha, Pearl City, Hawaii
108 lbs/male: Melik Elliston,
Houston, Texas dec. Paul LeBlanc, Pahoa, Hawaii
112 lbs/female: Marlen Esparza,
Houston, Texas, dec. Virginia Fuchs, Houston, Texas
114 lbs/male: Charles Williams,
Colorado Springs, Colo., dec. Angel Gonzalez, Hartford, Conn.
119 lbs/female: Melissa Parker,
Colorado Springs, Colo., dec. Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Mass.
123 lbs/male: Jose Balderas,
Santa Maria, Calif., dec. Sandy Rivas, Fayetteville, N.C.
125 lbs/female: Rianna Rios, Fort
Carson, Colo., dec. LaTonya Wingate, Centerline, Mich.
132 lbs/female: Alycia
Baumgardner, Fremont, Ohio dec. Felisha Estrada-Gonzalez, Fort
Carson, Colo.
132 lbs/male: Charles Vasquez,
New Port Richey, Fla., dec. Rajiv Hernandez, Cleveland, Ohio
141 lbs/female: Mikaela Mayer,
Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Meghan Karchor, Tavers, Fla.
141 lbs/male: David Mijares,
Pasadena, Calif., dec. Anthony Nunez, Niskayuna, N.Y.
152 lbs/male: Brian Ceballo,
Brooklyn, N.Y., dec. James Perella, Mansfield, Mass.
165 lbs/female: Franchon Crews,
Baltimore, Md., won on TKO over Danielle Mitchell, N. Hollywood,
Calif.
165 lbs/male: Marquis Moore,
Colorado Springs, Colo., dec. Randy Foster, Covington, Tenn.
178 lbs/male: Steven Nelson,
Colorado Springs, Colo., dec. Miguel Trejo, Anaheim, Calif.
201 lbs/male: Sardius Simmons,
Flint, Mich., won on walkover over Derae Crane, Colorado
Springs, Colo.
201+ lbs/male: Cassius Chaney,
Charlestown, R.I., dec. Raymond Walker, Arlington, Texas
